


Smile Like Yesterday

by A_Song_to_Say_Goodbye



Series: Push-Pull [7]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Spoilers, melancholic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 10:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17098874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Song_to_Say_Goodbye/pseuds/A_Song_to_Say_Goodbye
Summary: Karma grows up, just a little.Originally written for Karushuu Week Summer 2016





	Smile Like Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> This ignores that Koro-sensei’s existence eventually became public knowledge and strongly hints at the series conclusion. Also, for anyone who’s curious, this is the one that doesn’t follow the week's naming theme.
> 
> Prompt: Future

They’ve grown up, the two of them.

Gakushū doesn’t know what he was expecting of adult Karma, but it wasn’t this. Adult Karma is a little less violent, a little less angry, and a little more kind. That’s about it. Otherwise, he’s still the same mischievous, mildly sociopathic, scarily competent genius he’s been since their Kunigigaoka days.

He thinks Karma did most of his growing up right after middle school. Who knows, that might also be the reason he didn’t change much. Something happened there in the mysterious Class E, something that sobered him up, much as Karma tried to hide it. But his genius doesn’t apply to acting, and Gakushū kept catching little signs all throughout high school before Karma gave up the act and stopped pretending that he didn’t care about society or helping other people.

Gakushū tried asking some of the others at the time — he managed to corner Nakamura Rio once and made some pointed comments about government transparency to Karasuma. But even asking perfect class representative Isogai or putting some pressure on quiet Okuda didn’t get him the answer. There were variations on the reaction, of course. Nakamura laughed at him, Isogai apologized, Karasuma said he didn’t have the right clearance, and Okuda ducked her head down, then ran away. It boils down to this: Class E has a shared secret.

If he had to guess, Gakushū would say that it has something to do with death. Karma is kind of touchy about that subject, and while that could be for plenty of reasons, it’s the only thing close to a starting point that Gakushū has. And since all the students of Class E clearly came out alive, perhaps that mysterious sensei of theirs was the one to die.

Karma hasn’t said much about him. A casual comment every now and then, like, “He made me believe in adults again,” and, “He was fun to tease.” The most he ever got out of Karma was something that must’ve been a nickname, Koro-sensei, which certainly turned out to be ironic if his hypothesis is right. Korosenai. Unkillable.

Or maybe he’s so far off that he’s not even in the same realm of possibility. That might also be the case.

For his part, Gakushū likes to think that he’s calmed down a lot. And has had his world view adjusted. He still doesn’t think it’s wrong to kick soccer balls at people who’re expecting it, but he’s willing to acknowledge that manipulation is not exactly morally right and that threatening to sue your father isn’t normal. He also isn’t as obsessive as before, a little more gracious about defeat. Changes for the better, he thinks.

Karma’s changes are mostly for the better, but he’s a little sadder as an adult than he was a teenager. Not that Gakushū would wish for him to turn back, considering some of the stories that Class E members have been willing to tell him. But sometimes, seeing adult Karma looking out the window, Gakushū wants the carefree devil of his past to give Karma a smack on the head. Perhaps that would cause him to smile that way again.


End file.
